500,000 new trees planted puts Mississauga halfway to goal of one million

Mississauga is more than halfway to its goal of adding one million trees to the city’s canopy by 2032.

At last count, City of Mississauga officials say, more than 500,000 new trees have been planted since the City launched the One Million Trees Mississauga initiative 10 years ago, in 2013.

The goal is to “help conserve and enhance the city’s open spaces and forested areas for future generations to enjoy,” the City says.

Under the program, trees are planted by City staff, community partners and volunteers on both public and private property. More than 37,000 volunteers have participated in tree plantings and woodland restoration events in the past decade.

“Residents who plant a tree on their private residential property can add it to our tree planting total and have it count towards our One Million Trees goal,” City officials say.

Currently, Mississauga counts some 2.1 million trees on both public and private lands across the city. And that number is growing as the municipality, conservation authorities, businesses, community groups, schools and individuals all contribute their tree-planting efforts.

“Planting more trees helps increase canopy cover while restoring and enhancing Mississauga’s open spaces and forested areas for future generations to enjoy. Trees help filter out hazardous chemicals like carbon dioxide, increase Mississauga’s beauty through colourful blooms and leaves, and provide wildlife shelter, shade and food,” City officials said in a news release this week.

Officials add that since the program began in 2013, a diverse mix of native trees have been planted including sugar maple, white pine, red oak and paper birch.

“The City’s ultimate goal is to increase the tree canopy in parks, boulevards and natural areas and, in doing so, expand Mississauga’s natural heritage system and urban forest. The City is on track to meet its goal of planting one million trees by 2032,” officials say.

Last year, Mississauga once again received international recognition for its commitment to keeping trees healthy and adding significantly to the number of trees across the city.

For the third consecutive year, the City of Mississauga received the 2021 Tree Cities of the World designation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Arbor Day Foundation.

The designation program recognizes cities around the globe committed to ensuring that urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed and celebrated.

Mississauga was among 18 Canadian cities and 138 worldwide to receive the designation.

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary of the One Million Trees program🎉

The program aims to add one million more trees by 2032.

Since the program launched in 2013, more than 500,000 trees have been planted across Mississauga.

🔗https://t.co/mBelrlcnoH @saugaparksrec pic.twitter.com/FLASP41jCv

— City of Mississauga (@citymississauga) April 20, 2023